Articulated log skidder having a telescopic boom for throwing out the inhaul cable



3, 1966 A. R. WIRKKALA 3,268,090

ARTICULATED LOG SKIDDER HAVING A TELESCOPIC BOOM FOR THROWING OUT THEINHAUL CABLE Filed Aug. 25, 1965 39 FIGOS ii 74!!! m ALBERT R. WIRKKALAINVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office p... 23, 1%.

3,268,090 ARTICULATED LOG SKIDDER HAVING A TELE- SCOPIC BOOM FGRTHROWING OUT THE IN- HAUL CABLE Albert R. Wirkkala, Naselle, Wash. FiledAug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,805 3 Claims. (Cl. 212-7) This inventionrelates to logging vehicles of those kinds employed for the pick-up andconveyance of logs from the forests or woods, involving the use of aboom, choker hooks, grapples or tongs as attached to a haul-in cableleading from a powered winch drum.

It being a principal object of the present invention to provide alogging vehicle of the above stated character and including atelescopically extendable and retractable boom equipped at itsextendable end with means whereby the log lifting gear connected to thehaul-in line may be cast out, incident to the extension of thetelescopic boom from its indrawn position to a position for connectionwith the load to be pulled in by the haul-in line when the line is woundonto the winch drum.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vehicle comprisinga powered steerable forward section and a rear or trailing section whichare joined in an articulated draft connection. The extendable boom ismounted at its ends on and extends between the two sections. One of thetwo sections also mounts the cable winding winch and fairleader rollsover which the haul-in cable and rigging lines operate for the raisingand dragging in of logs or the like.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the specificcombination of parts and in their mode of use as will hereinafter befully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention,I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle of the present invention asequipped with a telescopically extendable boom for pulling out the logpick-up rigging being used therewith.

FIG. 2 is a top or plan view of the vehicle of FIG. 1 with the boomretracted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the boom and a rotatably mountedsupporting collar as applied thereto for its support on the arch unit.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The present mobile vehicle is designated in its entirety by referencecharacter T. It is here shown to comprise a forward end section 10supported on a cross-axle 11 that is equipped at its ends with tractionwheels 1212 and is powered by a suitable engine designated by numeral 13through conventional transmission gearing operable under control of thevehicle operator.

Pivotally attached to the forward section 10 by a draft connectiondesignated at 15 is the rear end section 16 of the vehicle T. Thissection is supported by a crossaxle 17 equipped at its ends with pairedwheels 12'--12' like those of the forward section 10 and spaced to tracktherewith. The rear section mounts a transverse arch 20 that is equippedat its top with a four roller fairleader 22. The fairlead'er guides thehaul-in cable 23 that extends therethr-ough from a powered winch drum 24here shown to be mounted on the frame of hte rearend section 16. Thecable 23 is equipped at its outer end with a ring 25, shackle or othersuitable means for the securement thereto of choker lines 26 or thelike. The choker lines are also secured to the logs for the pulling inof them as the cable 23 is wound onto the winch drum. The winding in ofthe cable over the fairleader lifts the forward ends of the logs asshown in FIG. 1, preparatory for their being dragged or skidded to aplace of deposit.

When the choker lines are disconnected from the log or logs, and thevehicle is returned to the forest for the next load, the choker lines,hooks and cable to which they are attached must be drawn out from thewinch drum through the fairlead for application and securement to thenevt load of logs. This operation is very diflicult and time-consumingwhen done manually. Therefore, to expedite this operation, I have thetelescopic boom 28 which accomplishes this task in the following manner:

It has been shown in the drawings that the boom designated by numeral 28is disposed substantially horizontally on the vhicle. It is supported atits forward and rearward ends respectively in mounting collars '3030'applied thereabout and mounted for turning on vertical bearing pins 31as in FIG. 3 on base plates 32 mounted respectively on a frame or roofstructure 33 of the forward section 10 of the vehicle. A similar plate35 is mounted on the arch or rear section 16. The forward end of theboom is clamped in its collar 30 and the rear end of the boom isslidable in its collar 30' to allow for freedom in articulation of therear section.

The telescopic boom is shown in FIG. 3 to comprise three coaxial tubularsections 36, 37 and 38 and a central extendable piston rod 39. Theelements of the boom may be round, square or of other cross-sectionshapes.

A pressure medium is adapted to be applied to the innermost end of thelarger or enclosing cylinder through a tubular line 40 for boomextension. The boom is retracted incident to the winding in of the cable23. Connected to the outer end of the central rod 39 is a hook 41 whichmay be d'etachably applied to the cable ring 25 so that when the boom isextended, the haul-in cable and the connected choker lines attachedthereto will be drawn or cast out from the winch drum through thefairleader. Thus the laborious task above mentioned, of manual out-haul,may be easily and readily accomplished to the extent of extension of theboom.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the mounting of the telescopicboom in the pivotally or rotatably mounted collars permits thearticulated maneuverability of the vehicle over rough terrain for sidehill logging.

In lieu of the use of choker lines and hooks, tongs or grapples ofvarious kinds may be likewise employed for log pick-up and yarding.Devices of this kind may also be mounted on crawler tractors, motortrucks and the like.

What I claim to be new is.

1. A mobile logging vehicle comprising a powered, steerable forwardsection and a trailing arch section; said sections being joined by anarticulated shaft connection, a telescopically extendable boom supportedat its opposite ends, respectively, on the joined sections of saidveehicle and having a rearwardly extendable piston rod and means for itsextension and retraction, a cable winding drum mounted on said vehicle,a fairleader mounted by said trailing arch section below the rear end ofthe boom, an inhaul cable wound on said drum and extended rearwardlytherefrom over said fairleader, log pick-up means attached to the end ofthe cable, a connector means attached at one end to the free end of saidcable and at its other end to the extendable end of said piston rodwhereby said cable may be drawn out from said drum by the extending ofthe piston rod from the boom and the pick-up means cast therebyrearwardly from the vehicle for log-making log connections.

2. A logging vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said telescopicallyextendable boom is mounted on and lengthwise of said vehicle and haspivoted supporting bearings 3 4 at its ends that permit the articulationof the joined sec- References Cited by the Examiner tions; one of saidbearings being fixed to the boom to v UNITED STATES PATENTS hold itagainst longitudmal slippage, and the other providing for endwiseslippage of the boom therein. 31043442 7/1962 Wlrkkala 212 '7 3. Alogging vehicle according to claim 2 wherein said 5 3,163,298 12/1964Wyld 21249 boom is mounted on said vehicle sections lengthwise thereofand substantially on a horizontal position to over- EVON BLUNK PrlmaryExamine hang the trailing arch section. A. L. LEVINE, AssistantExaminer.

1. A MOBILE LOGGING VEHICLE COMPRISING A POWERED, STEERABLE FORWARDSECTION AND A TRAILING ARCH SECTION; SAID SECTIONS BEING JOINED BY ANARTICULATED SHAFT CONNECTION, A TELESCOPICALLY EXTENDABLE BOOM SUPPORTEDAT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, ON THE JOINED SECTIONS OF SAIDVEHICLE AND HAVING A REARWARDLY EXTENDABLE PISTON ROD AND MEANS FOR ITSEXTENSION AND RETRACTION, A CABLE WINDING DRUM MOUNTED ON SAID VEHICLE,A FAIRLEADER MOUNTED BY SAID TRAILING ARCH SECTION BELOW THE REAR END OFTHE BOOM, AN INHAUL CABLE WOUND ON SAID DRUM AND EXTENDED REARWARDLYTHEREFROM OVER SAID FAIRLEADER, LOG PICK-UP MEANS ATTACHED TO THE END OFTHE CABLE A CONNECTOR MEANS ATTACHED AT ONE END OF THE FREE END OF SAIDCABLE AND AT ITS OTHER END TO THE EXTENDABLE END OF SAID PISTON RODWHEREBY SAID CABLE MAY BE DRAWN OUT FROM SAID DRUM BY THE EXTENDING OFTHE PISTON ROD FROM THE BOOM AND THE PICK-UP MEANS CAST THEREBYREARWARDLY FROM THE VEHICLE FOR LOG-MAKING LOG CONNECTIONS.